Railway truck structure



Aug. 23, 1938. E. G. HALLQUIST' I RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE v Filed July 13, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 23; 1938. E. e. HALLQUIST RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Filed July 15, 1.935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IMII /7 orn y Patented Aug. 23, 1938 PATENT OFFiCE RAILWAY TRUCK STRUCTURE Einar G. Hallquist, Wallingford, Pa., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application July 13,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists in novel truck structure particularly adapted for passenger service.

Previously passenger trucks with lateral swing motion bolsters have included swing hangers usually pivoted to the truck framing inside the side frames or Wheel pieces, a spring plank ex tending between the lower parts of the hangers for stabilizing the same and providing seats for elliptic springs on which the bolster is carried.

The bolster springs constitute the sole connections between the springplank and bolster and are subjected to undesirable lateral forces during transverse swinging of the bolster which is limited by rigid stops thereon opposing the inner faces of the truck side frames. The hangers, springs and spring plank limit the space available for the brake rigging associated with the truck wheels and the bolster must be located at a sufficient height above the spring plank to permit vertical movement of the bolster due to the action of its supporting springs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lateral swing motion truck having greater stability than lateral motion trucks constructed as described above.

Another object is to prevent the application of lateral forces to the bolster springs during swinging of the bolster.

Another object is to position the bolster swing hangers and lateral motion stops so as to be more accessible for inspection and repair than the corresponding parts heretofore.

Another object is to lower the center of gravity of the truck.

Still another object is to provide truck side frame and equalizer construction which is substantially lighter than the corresponding parts of previous trucks.

These objects and others hereafter appearing are attained substantially by the structures illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a half top view of a truck embodying the invention, portions being broken away for clearer illustration.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same, the right half being a vertical section on the longitudinal center line of the truck.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical transverse half sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1.

The truck illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 com- 1935, Serial No. 31,143

prises framing including side frames I, end sills 2, and transoms 3. Depending from the side frames are the pedstal jaws 4 having the usual liners 5 receiving therebetween journal boxes, one of which is shown at 6. Extending on each side of the truck beneath the side frame is an' equalizer, generally indicated at 1, and having bifurcated end portions 8 extending on each side of the pedestals and mounted on the journal boxes. Frame supporting coiled springs, diagrammatically indicated at 9, engage the seat elements Iii on the equalizer and II on the side frame. i

Portions of each side frame outwardly of the spring seats H and between these seats are of relatively narrow box-section, as indicated at l2 in Figure 4. Each frame is provided with a pair of enlarged and downwardly hollowed portions I3 receiving the upper spring seats ll. Brake hanger brackets l4 project from the enlarged portions l3 of the side frame. It will be understood that in the completed truck, brake hangers (not shown) supported by pins as at l5 and carrying the usual brake heads and shoes, will depend adjacent the wheels lfi for applying braking pressure thereto, suitable brake beams, brake levers and connecting rods being provided for this purpose.

Extending outwardly from each side frame adjacent the spring seat enlargements l3 are brackets I! to which are pivotally secured the hangers is connected at their lower extremities by a 1ongitudinal bar l9. Movably or non-rigidly seated on the bar i9 is a bearing element 20 which in turn mounts the end of the combination spring seat and hanger stabilizer member generally indicated at 2!. The member 2| comprises an outer end portion, including the lugs 22 for receiving therebetween the lower band 23 of the elliptic spring 24, a portion 25, resting on the bearing 2i), and the integral arms 26 extending inside the bolster 2'! and pivoted to the side walls thereof by means of the rod or bar 28 extending through the bolster walls at points spaced substantially inwardly from the hanger. The rod 28 is in the form of a long bolt having a head 29 and nut 30 for securing the same in position.

The bolster 21 has downwardly opening hollow end parts receiving elliptic springs 24, the upper bands 3| of which are seated between lugs 32 on the under-surface of the bolster top wall. At the center of the bolster is a center bearing structure 33. At each end of the bolster is an upwardly extending rib 34 opposing the outer face of the side frame and forming a stop for cooperating with the side frame in limiting lateral movement of the bolster.

Equalizer 1 adjacent the bifurcated ends 8 thereof has a vertical web 1a and top and bottom flanges lb on both sides of the vertical web. The portion of the equalizer top flange adjacent hangers l8 and bar [9 extends inwardly only from the vertical web, as at 35, in order to clear the hanger and bar.

The inwardly extending central portion of the equalizer top web is substantially the same width as the bottom flange. Wheel piece I is offset inwardly adjacent the bolster and the recess formed thereby accommodates the upper ends of hangers I8 and rib 34 on the bolster avoiding undue widening of the truck. The center portions of transoms 3 and the top of the bolster are located beneath the level of the wheel pieces, and the bottom web 36 of the bolster is located approximately at the level of the equalizer top flange. Hence, the center of gravity of the truck is substantially lower than is possible where the bolster is wholly above a spring plank extending across the truck above the equalizers.

The location of the bolster hangers outside the side frames provides for greater stability of the truck and these hangers so positioned do not interfere with the brake rigging which usually does not extend outwardly farther than the wheel tread. The hangers and bolster stops 34 are readily accessible for inspection purposes.

The truck is substantially lighter than previous four-wheel passenger trucks, due to the novel construction of the framing and equalizers, and is also more stable due to the wide spacing of the bolster swing hangers and the lower center of gravity made possible by the elimination of the spring plank. Elimination of lateral forces upon the bolster springs substantially improves the riding qualities of the truck. The outside location of the bolster hangers obviously increases the space provided for brake rigging and makes these hangers readily accessible.

The invention is not limited to the details illustrated, but may be modified as will occur to those skilled in the art. For example, rubber blocks or pads or other shock-absorbing means may be substituted for the springs illustrated and described. In the combinations claimed below such shock-absorbing means would be the full equivalent of the springs illustrated. The exclusive use of this and other modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truck, framing, a swing hanger pivoted thereto, a bolster yieldingly carried at one end by said hanger, said bolster having spaced side walls, and a pair of rigid arms connected to the lower part of said hanger and pivoted to said walls.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which the pivotal connection of said rigid arms and said bolster walls is effected by means of a rod extending through said walls and the ends of said arms.

3. In a railway truck, wheels and axles, journal boxes, an equalizer carried by said boxes, a frame including a wheel piece carried by and extending generally over said equalizer, swinging links suspended from said Wheel piece, a bolster extending between said wheel piece and said equalizer and carried on said swinging links, a portion of said wheel piece being offset inwardly of the truck adjacent said swinging links to accommodate the mounting of the latter on the outer side of the wheel piece.

4. In a railway truck, wheels and axles, journal boxes, an equalizer carried by said boxes, a frame including a wheel piece carried by and extending generally over said equalizer, swinging links suspended from said wheel piece, a bolster extending between said wheel piece and said equalizer and carried on said swinging links, a portion of said equalizer being offset inwardly of the truck adjacent said swinging links to accommodate the mounting of the latter on the outer side of the wheel piece.

5. In a railway truck, wheels and axles, journal boxes, an equalizer carried by said boxes, a frame including a wheel piece carried by and extending generally over said equalizer, swinging links suspended from said wheel piece, a bolster extending between said wheel piece and said equalizer and carried on said swinging links, portions of said wheel piece and said equalizer being offset inwardly of the truck adjacent said swinging links to accommodate the mounting of the latter on the outer side of the wheel piece.

6. In a railway truck, framing, an equalizer extending beneath the same, and a bolster swing hanger pivoted to said framing and extending outside said equalizer and beneath the level of the upper part thereof, a portion of said equalizer having an outwardly extending top flange and said top flange being cut away on the outside adjacent said hanger to provide clearance for the same.

7. In a railway truck, wheels and axles, journal boxes, an equalizer carried by said boxes, a frame including a wheel piece carried by said equalizer, swinging links suspended from said wheel piece outwardly of said equalizer, a yielding support structure carried by said swinging links, a bolster mounted on said support structure, a portion of said bolster extending downwardly to the approximate level of the top of said equalizer, and a stabilizing member extending over said equalizer and connecting said swinging links and said bolster above the level of the lower portions thereof.

8. In a railway truck, a side frame, a swing hanger pivoted thereto, an elliptic spring disposed transversely of the truck and carried by said hanger, a bolster mounted on said spring and having a downwardly opening hollow part receiving the inner end of said spring, and a link member connected to said hanger and extending into said bolster hollow part beneath said spring and pivotally secured to said bolster.

EINAR G. HALLQUIST. 

